Applicator apparatus for depilatory composition

ABSTRACT

Sections of sheet plastic are hand-wiped across an applicator roller which is supported for rotation in a melted depilator composition. The container for said depilator composition is mounted in close proximity to an electrical heating element near the bottom of an exterior insulated housing. A removable cover for the housing carries bearings for the rotational support of the applicator roller and a hinged closure to facilitate adding to the composition when necessary.

United States Patent [191 Korodi APPLICATOR APPARATUS FOR DEPILATORY COMPOSITION [76] Inventor: Miklos Korodi, 925 E. 79th St., New York, NY. 10021 [22] Filed: Jan. 30, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 327,928

[52] US. Cl. 118/258 [51] Int. Cl. B056 1/08 [58] Field of Search... 118/258, 261, 262, 244249, 118/252, 429; 134/90, 105, 107; 219/439, 430

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 303,107 8/1884 Beaumont 118/258 493,101 3/1893 Luther 118/258 X 872,239 11/1907 Kline 118/258 X 2,236,837 4/1941 Rimmel 219/430 X 2,314,467 3/1943 Tubbs 219/439 Aug. 13, 1974 2,397,853 4/1946 Gist 118/261 X 3,157,774 11/1964 Moore et a1. 219/439 X 3,725,641 4/1973 Tilp 219/439 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 556,010 4/1923 France 219/439 Primary ExaminerMorris Kaplan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Frederic C. Dreyer [5 7 ABSTRACT Sections of sheet plastic are hand-wiped across an applicator roller which is supported for rotation in a melted depilator composition. The container for said depilator composition is mounted in close proximity to an electrical heating element near the bottom of an exterior insulated housing. A removable cover for the housing carries bearings for the rotational support of the applicator roller and a hinged closure to facilitate adding to the composition when necessary.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures APPLICATOR APPARATUS FOR DEIILATORY COMPOSITION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The prior art contains teachings of depilating compositions and carriers for such compositions which allow the latter to be pressed onto hairy regions of the body for the removal of hair when the carrier is stripped from the particular region of the body. Generally, the depilating compositions are of a waxy nature and the carrier is a flexible plastic tape or strip onto which the composition is applied by coating under known techniques. When the coated side of the carrier is pressed against the hairy region of the body, the hairs become embedded in the depilating composition and strongly adhere to the same and the composition is of such a nature that it will not adhere to the skin to any significant degree, allowing the hair to be removed from the body with a minimum of discomfort. Two typical examples of the prior art along the above lines are US. Pat. No. 2,425,696, Herrmann et al., and 2,954,324, Brummer.

Two difficulties or deficiencies which exist in connection with the above conventional means for removal of hair from the body are, first, that the depilator product is sold in a precut prepackaged form and is very limited in terms of the sizes and shapes of the product available to the user. For example, if one is concerned with the removal of hair from the region above the upper lip, one does not conveniently employ a large section of depilator material which has been designed to remove hair from a large area of the arm or leg. If the product is cut to size by the user, waste is likely to be encountered in the remaining left-over section of the product. Secondly, when the conventional depilator product or strip is applied to the body in a cold state and subsequently stripped away to remove hair from the body, there tends to be greater discomfort to the user than is the case if the product is slightly warm, at least to normal body temperature or slightly above this temperature. Also, the conventional precut and prepackaged depilator can become stale and ineffective if stored for too long a time prior to use.

The present invention is directed to completely overcoming above deficiencies of the prior art by the provision of simplified means whereby a warm, freshly coated depilator strip or sheet cut by the user to the desirable shape and size, without waste, may be employed with maximum comfort to any part of the anatomy for the safe and clean removal of hair from that region. The apparatus embodying the invention allows the use of conventional depilator materials in terms of the plastic carrier material, such as Mylar sheeting, and the depilating composition of a waxy consistency. Another attribute of the invention is its convenience either to the home user or in a commercial beauty parlor or the like. The user simply cuts a section of plastic carrier material from any convenient source to the required size and shape and hand-wipes it across the top of the warm applicator roller, and then after only a very brief drying period of a few seconds may press the material against the hairy region of the body in accordance with the teachings of the prior art. However, as stated. less discomfort is encountered by the use of the product in conjunction with the invention apparatus. both due to the warmth of the product and its freshness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus embodying the invention consists essentially of an exterior preferably heat-insulated housing of a shape and size to hold a container or reservoir for a convenient volume of a depilating liquid composition. The housing also accommodates an electrical heating element and suitable controls for the element. A removable top cover plate also insulated forms the support for arotary applicator roller preferably formed of metal for good heat conductivity. Bearings for the rotational support of the roller are provided on the cover plate. A relatively small hinged closure or door on the larger cover plate renders it convenient to add to the depilator composition at any time without removing the entire cover plate and applicator roller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a vertical section through the depilator application apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus with the cover plate and applicator roller removed; and

FIG 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus with the top cover plate and roller in place on the exterior housmg.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals designate like numerals throughout. the numeral l0 designates a rectangular open top exterior receptacle or housing for the apparatus, having the interior surfaces of its side and bottom walls lined with heat insulating material 11. Disposed near the bottom of the exterior housing 10 is an electrical heating element 12 of the ealrod type preferably formed into a generally rectangular loop encompassing a major portion of the area of the housing 10. Near one end wall of the housing 10, the heating element 12 has ascending branches l3 conventionally anchored at 14 to the adjacent housing end wall near the top of the housing. As best shown in FIG. 3, controls for the heating element in the form of an off and on switch 15 and a high and low heat switch 16 are mounted on the exterior of the adjacent housing end wall. A chamber 17 for the conventional wiring involved with the switches and heating element is provided near one end of the exterior housing 10, as indicated in FIG. 1. The horizontal loop portion of the heating element may be supported somewhat above the bottom wall of the housing by upstanding lugs or ribs 18.

Disposed removably within the exterior housing 10 between the ascending branches 13 of the heating element and the remote end wall 19 of the housing 10 is a pan-like receptacle 20 for the conventional depilating wax-like liquid employed by the apparatus. The receptacle .20 has an open top and is rectangular, so as to conform to the shape of the chamber in the housing 10 which receives it. The receptacle 20 may rest directly on the heating element 12, as shown, or may in some cases be independently supported with its bottom in close relation to the heating element loop.

The apparatus further comprises a flat rectangular cover plate 21 for the housing 10 which is readily removable. and this cover plate is also lined on its lower face with heat insulation 22. The cover plate has an elongated slot 23 formed therein and this slot is spanned transversely at one point by a latch bar 24 fixedly secured thereto. Spaced from the bar 24 an appropriate distance along the slot 23 is a pair of laterally aligned top opening U-bearings or supports 25 for the rotational support of the axle 26 of a preferably aluminum cylindrical applicator roller 27 which projects well above the top cover plate, as indicated. The bottom of the applicator roller 27 extends near the bottom of the receptacle 20 so as to be immersed at all times in the bath of depilator composition maintained therein by the user at a suitable level. The roller 27 extends for the full width of the slot 23 with its end faces disposed close to the parallel edges of the slot. As shown best in HO. 1, the bearings for axle 26 are disposed somewhat below the cover plate 21.

The portion of the elongated slot 23 which is not occupied by the applicator roller 27 is normally covered by a hinged closure panel or door 28 having a knob operated pivoted latch 29 engageable below the latch bar 24 to lock the closure panel 28 in the closed position. The closure panel hinge which extends transversely of the cover plate 21 is indicated at 30. The closure panel 28 is a convenience item which may be unlatched and opened to allow additional depilating composition to be added to the receptacle 20 by the user at any time without the necessity for removing the entire cover plate 21 with the roller 27 which is supported thereon. However, when desired, for cleaning or servicing or for removing the receptacle 20, the entire assembly of cover plate and applicator roller may easily be lifted from the housing 10.

A power cord 31 for the heating element and associated electrical components leads from a junction box 32 on one end of the housing and is adapted to be plugged into a conventional 110 volt AC wall outlet.

The apparatus is used either in the home or in a commercial beauty parlor or the like in the following manner. A convenient amount of the depilator composition is introduced into the receptacle and the heating element is turned on. The depilator composition is a solid at room temperature. At the high heat setting, a temperature of approximately 170 F. may be maintained in the receptacle 20 and at the lower heat setting of the heating element a temperature of approximately 150 F. may be maintained. Conveniently, the high heat setting is utilized first to heat and melt the composition, followed by use of the low heating setting to hold the composition at a temperature where it will be sufficiently soft for transfer to a carrier strip and to render the depilator comfortable when placed into contact with the body.

With the apparatus assembled as in FIG. 1, the user cuts a section of sheet Mylar to a desired shape and size and simply hand-wipes it across the top of applicator roller 27 which will pick up and deliver the coating from the receptacle 20 and apply it to one face of the plastic carrier material. This will be done without waste of material and in a highly convenient manner and with no need to open up a prepackaged article and trim the same to size prior to usage with resulting waste. After a few seconds, the coated Mylar is applied to the desired hairy region of the body with the depilating coating downward and pressure is applied to embed the hairs into the wax-like composition, as previously described. This is followed by quickly stripping off the plastic carrier to remove the hair from the body with minimum discomfort. The warmness of the heated product enhances comfort and its freshness enhances the efficiency of the entire hair removal process. The metallic roller 27 conducts heat into itself readily from the melted composition in the receptacle 20 and retains enough heat near its top to achieve the objective of having the finished depilator article slightly warm, approximately at body temperature or a bit above this temperature when applied to the body.

The advantages of the invention over the conventional prior art should be readily apparent to anyone skilled in the art without the necessity for further description.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims I claim:

1. An apparatus for applying warm depilating composition to a sheet carrier material comprising:

an elongated and rectangular exterior housing;

an electrical heating member comprising a horizontally disposed loop element spanning a major area portion of the housing bottom and supported on lug means upstanding from said bottom and vertically disposed elements extending to an intermediate height of said housing;

means to variably control said heating member;

an elongated and rectangular receptacle for depilating composition disposed within said exterior housing and removably supported on said horizontally disposed loop element;

a cover plate supported on the exterior housing and having an elongated slot therein overlying said receptacle;

a metallic applicator roll member supported from said cover plate and of a diameter extending into said receptacle, whereby to be immersed in said composition, and extending through said slot, closely adjacent one end thereof; said cover plate including a hinged access panel disposed at the other end of said slot, whereby to facillitate introduction of depilating composition into said receptacle, one edge of said panel lying closely adjacent to said roll, and latch means operatively associated with said panel; and

heat insulating material lining the chamber formed by said exterior housing and cover plate. 

1. An apparatus for applying warm depilating composition to a sheet carrier material comprising: an elongated and rectangular exterior housing; an electrical heating member comprising a horizontally disposed loop element spanning a major area portion of the housing bottom and supported on lug means upstanding from said bottom and vertically disposed elements extending to an intermediate height of said housing; means to variably control said heating member; an elongated and rectangular receptacle for depilating composition disposed within said exterior housing and removably supported on said horizontally disposed loop element; a cover plate supported on the exterior housing and having an elongated slot therein overlying said receptacle; a metallic applicator roll member supported from said cover plate and of a diameter extending into said receptacle, whereby to be immersed in said composition, and extending through said slot, closely adjacent one end thereof; said cover plate including a hinged access panel disposed at the other end of said slot, whereby to facillitate introduction of depilating composition into said receptacle, one edge of said panel lying closely adjacent to said roll, and latch means operatively associated with said panel; and heat insulating material lining the chamber formed by said exterior housing and cover plate. 